definitions

demilune

[ dem-i-loon ]
/ ˈdɛm ɪˌlun /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR demilune ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a crescent.
Fortification. an outwork resembling a bastion with a crescent-shaped gorge.
a crescent or half-moon shape, as of the top of a piece of furniture.

adjective

shaped like a crescent.

RELATED WORDS

curve, bow, meniscus, sickle, half-moon, lune

Nearby words

demigod, demigoddess, demijohn, demilitarize, demilitarized zone, demilune, demimetope, demimondaine, demimonde, demineralization, demineralize

Origin of demilune

1720–30; < French: half moon. See demi-, lune1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for demilune

  • The breastwork or demilune that had been woven around the outer bounds was leveled in an instant.

    Old Farm Fairies:|Henry Christopher McCook

  • At either end of this crescent or demilune is a large orbweb, surmounted by a tower.

    Old Farm Fairies:|Henry Christopher McCook

British Dictionary definitions for demilune

demilune

/ (ˈdɛmɪˌluːn, -ˌljuːn) /

noun

fortifications an outwork in front of a fort, shaped like a crescent moon
a crescent-shaped object or formation; half-moon

Word Origin for demilune

C18: from French, literally: half-moon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for demilune

demilune

[ dĕm′ē-lōōn′ ]

n.

A small body shaped like a half-moon or crescent, such as one of the crescent-shaped cells surrounding certain mucous glands.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.